Senate Republicans run ad targeting Donnelly's ties to an outsourcing company

The national campaign committee for Senate Republicans is running a Facebook ad targeting Sen. Joe Donnelly's ties to a family arts and crafts company that outsources some of its labor to Mexico.

The 13-second advertisement comes on the heels of an Associated Press story published earlier this month that found Donnelly made at least $15,001 in dividends last year and had as much as $50,000 of stock in Stewart Superior Corp., a company that outsourced labor.

In response, Donnelly, who is a key target for Republicans in next year's election, sold his stock in the company, stating the issue was a "distraction."

The digital ad will run statewide through August.

"Joe Donnelly claims to protect Hoosier workers but profited from his family company that outsourced jobs to Mexico," the ad says. "Joe Donnelly: just another hypocrite politician, saying one thing doing another."

The National Republican Senatorial Committee has criticized Donnelly for "hypocritically profiting."

Donnelly is a sponsor of the End Outsourcing Act and was critical of Carrier Corp. when its parent company announced plans last year to move Indiana jobs to Mexico.

"The real issue we need to focus on, days before 300 Carrier workers in Indianapolis face layoffs, is how we can keep manufacturing here in Indiana," Donnelly said in response to the AP story.

Donnelly also said he hasn't played an active role in the company for 20 years.

The advertisement is the latest jab at a candidate in the 2018 race. Reps. Luke Messer and Todd Rokita have both aimed digs at each other in emails to supporters, months before either Republican even made a commitment to run for Senate.

Messer announced his plans to run for Senate this past week and Rokita's decision is "imminent," his campaign said.

Currently, Republicans in the Senate have a narrow 52-48 majority, and GOP leaders are hope that winning Donnelly's seat will give the party a more comfortable majority.

"As much as Washington partisans want to distract from Joe Donnelly's record of fighting to keep good-paying jobs in Indiana, Hoosiers know who's got the backs of the Carrier workers laid off this month," Hanscom said in response to the advertisement. "While Congressmen Rokita and Messer both have a history of supporting unfair trade deals that tilt the playing field against Indiana workers, Joe has long supported policies that boost our nation's manufacturing and help workers like those laid off this past month on their feet."